The Leaders You Grow Outlast the Systems You Build
Heller Search Associates, Wednesday, September 9th, 2026
CIO Eduard de Vries Sands argues developing leaders is a deliberate discipline built on handing off real work with a safety net.
IT executive Eduard de Vries Sands writes that the systems he built are mostly gone, but the people he developed now run their own functions.
He deliberately leaves "white space," giving capable staff bounded, real decisions while staying close enough to catch failures, and limits how big a mistake can get.
He recounts a vendor-managed migration where he misjudged a manager's readiness, then took the heat and moved go-live a month.
Delegating freed his own capacity for high-value work such as acquisition due diligence, and his proteges have gone on to senior roles elsewhere.